Kids and Screen Time

There are many parents who are concerned about their children watching too much TV or mobile phones.

Here are 5 recommendations for such parents from experts:

• No screens while having dinner, TV or mobile

Best to eat in silence or at least talk among the family only. This is not going to be easy but the easiest recommendation to implement.

• No screens before sleep

Everyone knows that late-night scrolling of phones detracts even adults from sleep. Kids get impacted more. But it is not very difficult to implement this.

• Do not expose babies & infants < 18 months to screens

Now, this is going to be difficult as many parents are the ones who introduce their infants to mobile screens and TVs, most of the time to get them to eat food without much fuss. But the habits that infants form during the first 18 months will be the most difficult to get rid of.

• Stick to smart, positive content

How many parents can sit along with their kids and watch what they are absorbing? It may not be practical for many parents. But thankfully, you don’t have to snoop on your kids’ phones.

Many apps are providing the option of child profiles + parental monitoring, and come with harmful content being automatically filtered by the platform service provider.

• Take regular breaks during the day when kids don’t use screens at all

This is as much true for adults as it is for children. In fact, experts recommend everyone spend at least one weekend a month without any phone or TV.

Of course, many of these recommendations are applicable to parents as well. After all, Children don’t listen to you but they do what you do.